variants
also skunk
as in dogs
a person whose behavior is offensive to others
he's nothing but a dirty, rotten skunk
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in bombs
to defeat by a large margin
we ended up skunking them, as our goalie was able to prevent the other team from scoring a single goal
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in masters
to achieve a victory over
our football team consistently skunks our traditional rivals Thanksgiving after Thanksgiving
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in stings
to rob by the use of trickery or threats
unwilling to let suppliers skunk him, the restaurant owner inspected every shipment before signing off on it
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of skunks
Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 31 Oct. 2025
While striped skunk is edible, Coalition Brewing warns against its strong odor, scavenger diet and susceptibility to parasites.
—Stuart Dyos, USA Today, 29 Oct. 2025
While striped skunk is edible, Coalition Brewing warns against its strong odor, scavenger diet and susceptibility to parasites.
—Stuart Dyos, Nashville Tennessean, 22 Oct. 2025
Animals that typically carry rabies are bats, raccoons, skunks, and foxes.
—Jasmine Laws, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Oct. 2025
Sure enough, there was a cute little skunk staring back at me.
—Steven Sullivan, The Conversation, 29 Sep. 2025
Rabies can be found in many other wildlife species, including raccoons, skunks, coyotes and foxes.
—Katia Hetter, CNN Money, 18 Sep. 2025
Around 75% of Americans are exposed to raccoons, skunks and foxes — the very wildlife that commonly spread the fatal disease to humans, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
—Shiv Sudhakar, FOXNews.com, 5 Sep. 2025
Noun
Rodents, possums, and skunks show up to snack on the flesh and seeds.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 31 Oct. 2025
While striped skunk is edible, Coalition Brewing warns against its strong odor, scavenger diet and susceptibility to parasites.
—Stuart Dyos, USA Today, 29 Oct. 2025
While striped skunk is edible, Coalition Brewing warns against its strong odor, scavenger diet and susceptibility to parasites.
—Stuart Dyos, Nashville Tennessean, 22 Oct. 2025
Animals that typically carry rabies are bats, raccoons, skunks, and foxes.
—Jasmine Laws, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Oct. 2025
Sure enough, there was a cute little skunk staring back at me.
—Steven Sullivan, The Conversation, 29 Sep. 2025
Rabies can be found in many other wildlife species, including raccoons, skunks, coyotes and foxes.
—Katia Hetter, CNN Money, 18 Sep. 2025
Around 75% of Americans are exposed to raccoons, skunks and foxes — the very wildlife that commonly spread the fatal disease to humans, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
—Shiv Sudhakar, FOXNews.com, 5 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for skunks
Noun
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An inmate who trains service dogs was also instructed to give Maxwell time with one of the puppies, even though the dogs are not supposed to be pet during training.—
Rebecca Beitsch,
The Hill,
10 Nov. 2025
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These include German shepherds, boxers, Pembroke Welsh corgis, Chesapeake Bay retrievers, Rhodesian ridgebacks, and Bernese mountain dogs.—
Maria Azzurra Volpe,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Ukraine bombs Russian energy infrastructure to defend civilians and destroy the Kremlin war machine.—
Mandy Taheri,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 Oct. 2025
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Remind them their worth is non-negotiable When your child fails — gets cut from the team, bombs a test — remind them their value isn't up for debate.—
Jennifer Breheny Wallace,
CNBC,
21 Aug. 2025
Verb
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This storied sandwich is served each year at the Masters Tournament in Augusta, Georgia; and many have long tried to replicate the recipe, which seemingly masters the perfect ratio of ingredients for classic egg salad.—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
23 Aug. 2025
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Focus is difficult and hardly anyone masters the skill.—
Jodie Cook,
Forbes.com,
18 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Even though the defeat stings, all the Hurricanes’ goals are still there for the taking.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
19 Oct. 2025
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But for Hovland, the lingering frustration of missing Sunday singles and watching Harris English sit out for no fault of his own still stings.—
Devlina Sarkar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The wind whips across the peak, marked as per usual around here with a pile of stones and colorful prayer flags tied to the top like sails on the mast of a ship.—
Joe Baur,
Outside,
31 Oct. 2025
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In the video, Campos whips her long hair in disbelief.—
Christina Noriega,
Refinery29,
13 Oct. 2025
Verb
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However, this approach defeats the primary purpose of insurance, which is to protect against catastrophic costs in the event of an unexpected medical crisis.—
Jasmine Laws,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Nov. 2025
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Haynes defeats Hall in District 2 Shamaiye Haynes maintained a sizable lead over Juanrique Hall in District 2, which covers uptown and west Charlotte.—
Rebecca Noel,
Charlotte Observer,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Blashill wants the Blackhawks to be a fast-pressure team at both ends of the rink, one that attacks vertically but never cheats for offense.—
Mark Lazerus,
New York Times,
2 Nov. 2025
Noun
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By the mid 19th century, clowns were more central to circus entertainment, and their acts more risqué.—
Time,
Time,
30 Oct. 2025
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The clowns come at you quickly at Fast Splash Car Wash in Detroit, Mich.—
Neda Ulaby,
NPR,
27 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Skunks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/skunks. Accessed 19 Nov. 2025.
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